The real “Lucy” skeleton, the famous 3.2-million-year-old specimen of Australopithecus afarensis, resides within a specially constructed safe at the National Museum of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa. Sophisticated molds of the bones, however, can be found all over the world, in such places as Arizona State University’s Institute of Human Origins, where they are used for scientific study. Or you can buy your own from Bone Clones, Inc., for $7,495, assuming you want the articulated version that fil ...read more
What do a velociraptor, Tyrannosaurus rex and Spinosaurus all have in common? For starters, the carnivorous trio clawed their way to superstar status as antagonists in the first three films in the Jurassic Park franchise. But on a more basic level, these dinosaurs are all theropods. Put simply, this group of dinosaurs mostly walked on two legs, had three claws on their feet, and of course, ate meat.“Theropods are the most charismatic of the dinosaurs,” says Joseph Frederickson, museum direct ...read more
This story was originally published in our Jul/Aug 2023 issue as "Mind Games." Click here to subscribe to read more stories like this one.I’m slouching over my desk, smartphone in hand, furiously tapping at the screen. In a game that looks straight out of a 1980s Atari console, I’m trying to direct little multicolored trains to stations of the same color by selecting the tracks as fast as I can. This task is supposed to assess my attention skills. I don’t do well. Luckily for me, the app ...read more
When beluga whales communicate with one another, certain vocalization cues reveal their social structures. When meerkats face an approaching predator, they use a complicated set of alarm calls depending on how close and dangerous it is.And in the skies, birds also communicate danger — along with things like mating status — to others in their flock. Now, scientists are harnessing the power of machine learning to build a program that can decipher all these forms of animal communication, and ...read more
In 1842, the term "Dinosauria" (which translates to "terrible lizard") was coined by British anatomist and paleontologist Sir Richard Owens. The Megalosaurus was the first dinosaur described in scientific literature based on a jaw fragment. In the almost 200 years since then, approximately 11,000 dinosaur fossils have been discovered. Dinosaurs existed during the Mesozoic Era, approximately 250 million years ago. This time included the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. With more ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine
